FORT LEE – Mayor Mark Sokolich, a central figure in the George Washington Bridge lane closures that has threatened Governor Christie’s White House ambitions, met Thursday afternoon with an attorney for the state legislative committee investigating the scandal.

“I can confirm that Mayor Sokolich voluntarily met with counsel to the Select Committee this afternoon at my office in West Orange,” the mayor’s attorney, Timothy M. Donohue, said in a statement, adding that the talk with Reid Schar lasted four hours.

“Since there are ongoing criminal and legislative investigations, I do not want to get into any specifics, other than to say we discussed the lane closures at the George Washington Bridge,” he stated. “Obviously, the Mayor is as anxious as everyone else to find out who was involved in the planning and execution of this scheme.”

Access lanes to the world’s busiest bridge were closed off for four days in September, causing hours-long traffic jams in Fort Lee. The legislative committee is investigating allegations that members of Christie’s inner circle ordered the lane closures to purposely wreak havoc in Fort Lee as a form of political payback to the Democratic mayor for not endorsing the Republican governor for reelection.

Since the scandal broke, Christie’s poll ratings have dropped. He is considered a potential presidential nominee for the GOP in 2016.

Christie has repeatedly denied knowing about the lane closures before they occurred.